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Description:
A Victorian home (in Queen Anne style) is shown here at 402 SW 5th Street. Please note the one-story tower, the multiple hip roofs and wraparound porch. The columns on the porch suggest a Free Classic sub-type, but other elements of the sub-type appear to be missing. Cut-away bays (common in Queen Anne architecture) are also missing, suggesting that this house had been remodeled sometime in the past.

Description:
Shown here is a photograph of the front and west side of a multi-story Queen Anne-style, cement-block house located at 416 NW 6th Street in Mineral Wells, Texas. It has many architectural features displaying the sub-type Patterned Masonry, such as the shaped parapets on the tower, and on the gables, as well as the Palladian window on the tower. The rectangular tower is unusual. Although it is not obvious in this photograph, there are more than the normal number of chimneys. The house is said to have a fireplace in each room--each one of which was unique. The fireplaces are said to have been faced with Italian marble. A picture in the "Daily Mineral Index" (that is thought to be contemporary with the house) shows another, frontal view, which also displays a conservatory, not visible in this photograph.

Description:
This photograph of 612 N. W. 6th Street was taken on the Fourth of July, 1975. The house was built in 1905 by W. S. McCutcheon. The house has been owned and occupied from that time to the present time (2006) by Gil Hull. The local parish of the Episcopal Church held meetings in the basement that members lovingly called "the Catacombs." St. Luke's Episcopal Church is located next door on a lot donated by the McCutcheons. The style of the house is tentatively determined to be Neo-classical. It shows evidence of extensive remodeling. An earlier photograph is pictured on page 140 of "Time Was..." by A. F. Weaver.

Description:
This home at 915 NW 4th Avenue was built by Hugh Coleman in 1906. It was the first "Elegant" home built on NW 4th Avenue, and it was designed as an entertainment and social center. The style of the house has been tentatively identified as Italian Renaissance. This house was also home to the John Moore family, and to the family of Gerald Talkington. The photograph of house was taken April 4, 1976. This photograph is to be found on page 183 of "Time Was..." by A. F. Weaver.

Description:
This photograph shows the purchaser who bought the first copy of "Time Was in Mineral Wells", and his wife. Left to right are: Rev. Bobby Moore, auctioneer; Jack Dickens, purchaser; A.F. Weaver, author; Mrs. Jean Dickens. Copy Number One sold for $153.57. (H. Arthur Zappe D.D.S., bought copy Number Two for $45, and Bill Bennett bought copy Number Three for an undisclosed price.)

Description:
This photograph shows the Austin Well as it was in 1974. A legend on the back of photograph reads: "Looking south shows remains of Austin Well in the foreground with the remains of what used to be the crystal plant. Across the street may be seen the St Regis box plant." The former Crazy Water Crystal plant, at the left edge of the picture, is now [2009] the St. Regis box factory This well is associated with a unique and romantic history: A cowboy rode a blind mare into Mineral Wells and auctioned her off for a dollar and a half. Mr. Austin acquired the horse, and put her to work drawing water from the well by turning a wheel to which was attached a rope, which with each revolution of the wheel, pulled a bucket of water from the well to ground level. Nellie was trained to pause at a point in her circular route long enough for the bucket to be emptied, then continue on to pull up the next bucket when it was filled. Blind Nellie was retired in her old age, but continued to walk a similar circular route in the pasture to which she was retired, pausing in each revolution, as before, until her death. Texas Packaging Company, Incorporated, has occupied the box plant since 1980.

Description:
The Brewer home on East Mountain is shown here, from a picture taken April 4, 1976. It is visible from most of North Oak Avenue. Originally the Murphy Home, the building underwent many renovations during the period of Mr. Murphy's residence. Mr. Murphy was a contractor who built many buildings in Mineral Wells, including the Mineral Wells High School (1914) and the third First Baptist Church. It is a good example of Neo-classical architecture.

Description:
The Calvary Baptist Church was originally located at 708 SE 5th Street. This picture was taken in 1975, shortly before the building was torn down and replaced by a more modern facility. Both the red-brick-trimmed native rock church and parsonage suffered substantial structural deterioration, which necessitated replacement. This series of pictures was probably taken for both a pictorial history of the old church, as well as photographic evidence of the deterioration of the structure that warranted its destruction and replacement. The new church, at this same location, now faces SE 6th Avenue.

Description:
The Calvary Baptist Church, as it appeared in 1975, is shown here. Note the combined use of native stone and brick and the lack of a peaked roof. The upper part of the windows appear to be stained glass. This one of a series of pictures of the church and parsonage, showing structural damage prior to their demolition. This native rock and red brick church faced south on SE 5th Street, and the white brick structure which replaced it is built on the same city block but faces west on SE 6th Avenue.

Description:
This home was the parsonage of Calvary Baptist Church in 1975, according to a note on back of the picture. Note the brick crosses worked into the stone-work above the front door and on the chimney. The picture also shows some structural cracks in the native sandstone rockery above the entrance and window, probably indicating foundation damage. There are also some weathered holes in the structurally-sound, but odd, limestone rocks used in construction.

Description:
The Colonel Boykin Home, at 1301 SE 4th Avenue, Mineral Wells, Texas appears to show neo-classical elements, along with evidence of later remodeling. This home was built in 1905 by Colonel Walter H. Boykin, owner of the Fairfield Inn. It was later purchased by William Whipple Johnson who, with his brother, Harvey, originally developed the coal mines in Thurber, Texas. Johnson opened the Rock Creek Mine in far western Parker County (after selling the mines at Thurber) and lived in this home while he operated it. The Will Smith family owned the house during the 1930's The house was converted to a rooming house during World War II, and abandoned in later years. The abandoned house was bought in 1975 by Morris Wayne Garrett and his wife, Darlene. They salvaged artifacts from several historical buildings in Mineral Wells that were in the process of being demolished: A beveled-glass door from the old Miller Hotel, large claw-footed bathtubs from the Jerome Hotel, French doors and tall windows from the old Firemen's club at Lake Mineral Wells, and baluster rails which were once part of the Hexagon Hotel, in their efforts to restore the home to its former grandeur.

Description:
This series of photographs was taken in 1975, during the construction of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan at 101 SE 1st Avenue. The Howard Brothers Department Store was an early occupant of the site. Demolition of the Howard Building began March 17, 1975 to make room for the Savings and Loan. A new First State Bank currently [2011] occupies this entire city block. A good view of the south side of the Baker Hotel is visible in the background.

Description:
The construction of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan, at 101 SE 1st Avenue in 1975, was documented in this series of photographs. The Howard Building, the first of the complex of Howard Brothers Department Stores, had been built on this location in the early 1900's. Demolition of the Howard Building began March 17, 1975, to make room for the Savings and Loan. The Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store (at the site of Mineral Wells' first Post Office) and the Green Stamp Store are visible across SE 1st Avenue, south of the Savings and Loan. The new First State State currently covers the entire city block at this location.

Description:
This series of photographs of the construction of Mineral Wells Savings and Loan was taken in 1975. Demolition of the Howard Building began March 17, 1975, to make room for the Savings and Loan. D.M. Howard was the first of five brothers to arrive from North Carolina. He later sent for his other brothers to establish the Howard Brothers Department Stores complex in the early 1900's. The Baker Hotel, directly across E. Hubbard north of the Savings and Loan, is seen to the left of the picture. Across SE 1st Street, to the south, were the Piggly Wiggly Grocery store (at the site of Mineral Wells' first Post Office) and the S & H Green Stamp store. The First State Bank now [2012] occupies this entire city block.

Description:
This pictures shows the east side of the Crazy Hotel, which opened in 1927, and occupies the entire west side of the 400 block of N. Oak Avenue. The Crazy is now [2008] a retirement home, which was forcibly shut down in 2010. Across N. Oak Avenue (the main street in the picture) and on the right (east) of the Crazy, is the building (with the Community Aerial Cable Company sign) that once housed Stoker Pontiac. It is now [2008] occupied by Bennett's Office Supply. The Grand Theater (originally the Crazy Theater at 400 N. Oak, and now [2008] The Faith Covenant Church) can be seen at the far end of that block.

Description:
Photograph of the barber Shop in the Crazy Hotel, including a long row of mirrors and waiting area on the far right, and stations for cutting hair on the left. In the center of the image, "Shoe Shine Boy" Leon Cross is seated next to a shoe-shine stand and an unidentified man is seated near him in a barber chair.

Description:
The original Crazy Woman's Well is preserved under the sidewalk at the northwest corner of the Crazy Hotel. This is the well the mentally-challenged (or the once-designated "Crazy woman") drank from that "cured" her dementia. Although not used for years, the well probably only requires a pump to resume production. Printed on the back of this picture is "The Crazy Well as today", and stamped "Mar. 21, 1974."

Description:
This picture was taken in 1974, looking south on NW 1st Avenue from NW 4th Street, showing the metal cover, in the sidewalk corner, of the Crazy Well. It is full of Crazy water, ready to be pumped out and used. The building on the left is the west side of the present [2008] Crazy Water Retirement Hotel. This information was taken from Art Weaver's book "TIME WAS in Mineral Wells...", page 29. This well was the third one dug in Mineral Wells.

Description:
A fire destroyed the Damron Hotel, December 22, 1975. The hotel was located at 109 West Hubbard Street, facing north, before the unfortunate conflagration. The fire also destroyed Davidson Hardware, located in the same block.

Description:
The Colonial Hotel was built in 1906 by Mr. J. T. Holt for his second wife. Mr. Holt also owned a hardware store on S. Oak at the back of the hotel. The name of the hotel was changed to The Damron Hotel around 1917 when Mr. Holt traded it to Agnew and Bessie Damron in exchange for a ranch. A hardware store, hard by, was sold to Mr. Holt's manager, John Davidson. The Damron Hotel, located at 109 W. Hubbbard Street, along with Davidson Hardware, burned completely on December 22, 1975. Please note the Christmas decoration, symbol of the season, on the telephone pole above the fire truck. The main entrance to the hotel is faintly visible through the dense smoke to the rear of the fire truck. The Crazy Hotel can be seen at the lower left edge of the picture.

Description:
The Damron Hotel (very popular in the resort city of Mineral Wells through the periods of the "Roaring Twenties", The Great Depression and World War II) was originally built as The Colonial Hotel in 1906 by J.T. Holt. Mr. Holt also owned a hardware store at the back of the hotel facing S. Oak Avenue, and a one-room buggy showroom between the hardware store and the hotel. The hotel was traded to Agnew and Bessie Damron around 1917 in exchange for a ranch, and the name was changed to reflect the new ownership. Mr. Holt sold the hardware store to his manager, John Davidson. The Damron Hotel and Davidson Hardware burned completely on December 22, 1975. This picture of the fire was taken looking east on Hubbard Street. The Baker Hotel in the left middle of the photograph is to the north of most of the smoke.

Description:
This is another view of the spectacular fire that consumed the Damron Hotel on December 22, 1975. The hotel was built as the Colonial Hotel in 1906 by rancher J. T. Holt for his second wife. The name was changed in 1917 when the hotel was traded to Agnew and Bessie Damron in exchange for a ranch. The fire received extensive photographic coverage. Note the height of the flames in this picture, taken in the later stages of the fire.

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